Glasgow 2014: The Queen hails city as perfect host nation for Friendly Games

THE Queen officially opened the 2014 Commonwealth Games with a message which has travelled around the globe for nine months.

The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh at the 20th Commonwealth Games opening ceremony at Celtic Park in Glasgow.

THE QUEEN last night hailed Glasgow as the perfect city for the Friendly Games.

She officially opened the 2014 Commonwealth Games with a message which has travelled across the world for nine months.

Her words were written on her holiday at Balmoral last year and placed inside the baton before it set off on its relay through all 71 nations and territories of the Commonwealth.

The paper was housed in a transparet cylinder within the baton’s titanium frame.

The message – kept secret for the past nine months – highlighted the “bonds that unite” the Commonwealth countries.

And the Queen also made reference to the Games’ long-standing nickname of “the Friendly Games”.

She said: “The baton relay represents a calling together of people from every part of the Commonwealth and serves as a reminder of our shared ideals and ambitions as a diverse, resourceful and cohesive family.

“And now that baton has arrived here in Glasgow, a city renowned for its dynamic cultural and sporting achievements and for the warmth of its people, for this opening ceremony of the Friendly Games.”

The world-famous Red Arrows roared overhead and pumped coloured plumes of smoke into the air as the Queen rolled into Celtic Park with Prince Philip at her side.

She had travelled to Scotland by train and arrived on platform 11 of Glasgow Central, where she was greeted by Lord Provost Sadie Docherty and station manager Ross Moran.

After travelling to the east end of Glasgow, the royal couple were met by Commonwealth Games Scotland chairman Michael Kavanagh, Glasgow 2014 organising committee chairman Lord Robert Smith of Kelvin and Commonwealth Games Federation president Prince Imran from Malaysia.